Vacuum splint apparatus for accessing the neck of a patient and method for using the same

ABSTRACT

A particle filled neck brace used for immobilizing the neck and chin of a patient which includes a vacuum pump disposed on the neck brace, which pump is communicated to the interior of the neck brace. After the neck brace is secured around the neck and chin of the patient, the vacuum pump is manipulated to remove air from the neck brace to form a rigid mold about the patient&#39;s neck and chin. The vacuum pump has a one way directional valve so that the neck brace remains in a rigid configuration for as long as the neck brace is applied to the patient. The neck brace also forms a rigid mold over the patient&#39;s chin so as to immobilize the patient as well as to provide a comfortable fit without inducing further distracting the patient or restricting the patient&#39;s venous return blood flow.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a Continuation in Part application of U.S.application Ser. No. 15/496,881, filed on Apr. 25, 2017, which is aContinuation in Part application of U.S. application Ser. No.15/061,820, filed on Mar. 4, 2016, which in turn is a Continuation inPart application of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/962,862, filed on Dec.8, 2015, which are incorporated herein by reference and to whichpriority is claimed pursuant to 35 USC 120.

BACKGROUND Field of the Technology

The invention relates to the field of pneumatic splints, specifically avacuum operated splint for immobilizing the neck of a patient.

Description of the Prior Art

Medical splints and other immobilizers have long been used to immobilizeor otherwise restrict the physical movement of a region or limb of aninjured patient. Many traditional splints are made from cardboard,plastic, padded board, or fiberglass and may either be generic in shapeor specifically formed to fit a specified limb or body part of thepatient. Typically, the splint is placed under the injured portion ofthe patient and is then tightened to straighten and/or immobilize thebody part to prevent further relative movement of the body part and thusprevent further injury and allow the patient an opportunity to heal.Some splints include vacuum or pneumatic pumps which inflate the splintwith air until a tight hold is achieved around the injured portion ofthe patient.

A type of splint that is made to fit a specific body part is the neckbrace, which is specifically shaped and formed to fit about the neck ofthe patients while also accommodating their shoulders and face. The mostbasic neck brace is the soft collar which consists of a section of softfoam that wraps around the neck of the patient and is then held in placewith a temporary means of coupling such as Velcro and the like. Otherneck braces comprise a semi-rigid plastic frame with a soft inner foampadding which is likewise placed around the injured patient's neck andthen held in place with interlocking straps or a sliding or telescopictrack element.

A problem with many neck braces, however, is that many of them must beadjusted before being applied to the patient's neck. Therefore beforethe patient's neck can be immobilized, the person applying the bracemust first assess the patient and then manipulate the brace in order toensure that an appropriate fit is achieved when placed around thepatient's neck. This can be critical in emergency situations when an EMTor other medical responder first arrives at an accident scene when everysecond counts. Inflatable neck braces do not require any pre-adjustmentaccording to size however they do require the coupling and activation ofan external pump device before the patient may be sufficientlyimmobilized. Again, in emergency situations when time and physicalaccess to the injured patient may be limited, such an inflatable neckbrace could prove to be more detrimental to the treatment of the patientthan other braces.

What is needed therefore is a neck brace which can be easily and quicklyapplied to an injured patient of any size, which properly immobilizesthe neck of the patient and prevents for further injury while also stillpermitting access to the neck of the patient.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The current invention provides for a customizable neck brace whichincludes a front panel and a back panel, where an internal volume isdefined between the front panel and the back panel. The neck brace alsoincludes a strip that is attached to its front panel, the strip having afirst coupling portion disposed on its surface. The neck brace furtherincludes a second coupling portion disposed on its front panel and aplurality of loosely compressible particles disposed within its internalvolume. Removably attached to the front panel of the neck brace is adetachable pump assembly. Both the front and back panel of the neckbrace further include a neck contour that is defined into its respectivesurfaces as well as an access port defined within its respectivesurfaces.

In one embodiment, the detachable pump assembly includes a chamber, ahandle attached to a first end of the chamber, and a plunger disposedwithin an internal portion of the chamber. The pump assembly furtherincludes a nozzle disposed within a second end of the chamber and acollar which is in turn attached to the nozzle. The pump assemblyadditionally includes a female luer lug which is coupled to the nozzlevia a flexible connecting line.

In a related embodiment, the detachable pump assembly further includes avacuum line that is attached to an input valve that is disposed in thefront panel. The opposing end of the vacuum line in turn includes a maleluer lock. Additionally, the pump assembly may include a hose clamp thatis coupled to the vacuum line.

In yet another embodiment, the front panel of the neck brace alsoincludes an input valve that is fluidly communicated to the internalvolume. Relatedly, the input valve may also include a filter screen thatis disposed between the internal volume an internal portion of the inputvalve.

In a separate embodiment, the access port of the neck brace isspecifically defined at a position within the front panel and the backpanel that is adjacent to the neck contour.

In yet another embodiment, the front panel and the back panel of theneck brace are made from a soft, malleable fabric.

In a separate embodiment, the front panel and the back panel of the neckbrace cooperate to form a patient-specific mold around the neck of andchin of a patient after the detachable pump assembly has been actuated.

The invention further provides a method for forming an immobilizingpatient-specific mold wherein the method includes wrapping a neck bracearound the neck and chin of a patient, the neck brace having a frontpanel and a back panel and having an interior volume definedtherebetween which is filled with a plurality of compressible particles.The method further includes actuating a detachable pump assembly that isremovably coupled to the front panel of the neck brace and then removingair from the internal volume of the neck brace to compress the neckbrace and forming a unique rigid mold about the neck and chin of thepatient. Even after the neck brace has been compressed, access to theneck of the patient is provided via an access port that is definedthrough the neck brace.

In one embodiment, the method step of actuating the detachable pumpassembly includes connecting the pump unit to a vacuum line which isitself communicated to the internal volume of the neck brace. A plungerdisposed within a chamber of the pump unit is then actuated which thenremoves air from the internal volume of the neck brace through thevacuum line.

In one particular embodiment, removing air from the internal volume ofthe neck brace through the vacuum line also involves preventing theplurality of compressible particles within the internal volume fromescaping and entering the vacuum line by means of a filter screen.

In another embodiment, attaching the pump unit to a vacuum line which iscommunicated to the internal volume of the neck brace includesconnecting a female luer lug that is disposed on the pump unit to a maleluer lock that is disposed on the vacuum line.

In yet another embodiment, the method step of forming a unique rigidmold about the neck and chin of the patient includes accommodating thechin of the patient in an immobilized position while simultaneouslyproviding access to the neck of the patient within the unique rigidmold.

In a related embodiment, the step of forming a unique rigid mold aboutthe neck and chin of the patient further includes preventing restrictionof the venous blood flow return of the patient.

Finally, the current invention provides a method for preventing thedistraction of the neck of a patient when immobilizing the patient'sneck. Here, the method includes disposing a neck brace about the neck ofa patient while the neck of the patient is in an injured position. Next,the neck brace is actuated to form a unique rigid mold about the injuredregion of the patient's neck, the formed unique rigid mold beingconfigured to maintain the neck of the patient within its originalinjured position for the duration that the neck brace is disposed aboutthe neck of the patient. Access to the neck of the patient after theneck brace has been actuated is further provided by an access portdefined within the neck brace itself.

In one particular embodiment, actuating the neck brace to form a uniquerigid mold about the injured region of the patient's neck involvescompressing the neck brace to fit the specific contours of the patient'sneck and chin.

In another embodiment, the method also includes inflating the neck bracein order to remove the neck brace from the neck of the patient.

In another embodiment, the method step of disposing the neck brace aboutthe neck of a patient while the neck of the patient is in an injuredposition includes attaching either a first coupling portion or asupplemental coupling portion located on a first surface of the neckbrace to a second coupling portion located on a second surface of theneck brace.

While the apparatus and method has or will be described for the sake ofgrammatical fluidity with functional explanations, it is to be expresslyunderstood that the claims, unless expressly formulated under 35 USC112, are not to be construed as necessarily limited in any way by theconstruction of “means” or “steps” limitations, but are to be accordedthe full scope of the meaning and equivalents of the definition providedby the claims under the judicial doctrine of equivalents, and in thecase where the claims are expressly formulated under 35 USC 112 are tobe accorded full statutory equivalents under 35 USC 112. The disclosurecan be better visualized by turning now to the following drawingswherein like elements are referenced by like numerals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a frontal plan view of the neck brace of the illustratedembodiments of the current invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear plan view of the neck brace seen in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a magnified view of a hand pump disposed on a body portion ofthe neck brace seen in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the vacuum hand pump disposed on theneck brace when the hand pump is in an expanded configuration.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the vacuum hand pump disposed on theneck brace when the hand pump is in a compressed configuration.

FIG. 6 is a magnified cross sectional view of the vacuum hand pump seenin FIG. 3, including the housing portion of the hand pump.

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the vacuum hand pump seen in FIG. 3when the hand pump is in an expanded configuration.

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the vacuum hand pump seen in FIG. 3when the hand pump is in a compressed configuration.

FIG. 9 is a magnified cross sectional view of a one-way directionalvalve disposed in a surface of the housing seen in FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 is a frontal view of an alternative embodiment of the neck bracewhen disposed about the neck and chin of a patient.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the alternative embodiment of the neckbrace seen in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12A is a top down perspective view of an alternative embodiment theneck brace comprising a detachable pump assembly.

FIG. 12B is a frontal perspective view of the neck brace seen in FIG.12A.

FIG. 12C is a magnified perspective view of the neck brace seen in FIG.12A.

FIG. 13 is a top down perspective view of the neck brace seen in FIG.12A after the detachable pump assembly has been removed.

FIG. 14A is a magnified perspective view of an inlet defined within theneck brace, the inlet comprising a filter screen.

FIG. 14B is a magnified perspective view of the inlet seen in FIG. 14Awith an input valve disposed over the filter screen.

FIG. 14C is a magnified perspective view of the input valve seen in FIG.14B after a vacuum line has been coupled to the input valve.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the detachable pump assembly.

FIG. 16 is a magnified view of the coupling between the detachable pumpassembly and the vacuum line coupled to the neck brace.

FIG. 17 is a magnified view of the vacuum line coupled to the neck, thevacuum line comprising a hose clamp.

FIG. 18 is a view of the neck brace forming a patient-specific moldabout the neck and shoulder region of the patient.

The disclosure and its various embodiments can now be better understoodby turning to the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments which are presented as illustrated examples of theembodiments defined in the claims. It is expressly understood that theembodiments as defined by the claims may be broader than the illustratedembodiments described below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Greater detail of the illustrated embodiments of the current inventionmay be had by turning to FIGS. 1 and 2 which shows the current neckbrace denoted generally by reference numeral 10. FIG. 1 shows a frontalview of the brace 10 which comprises of a body 12 that is substantiallyrectangular in shape. The body 12 itself comprises a neck cutout 14 anda plurality of shoulder cutouts 16. The neck cutout 14 and shouldercutouts 16 are sized and defined in the body 12 at the appropriatelocations so that when the neck brace 10 is applied to a patient's neckregion, the neck cutout 14 appropriately accommodates the jaw and headof the patient while the shoulder cutouts 16 accommodate the shouldersand chest region of the patient as is known in the art. The body 12itself is comprised of soft vinyl or other flexible material and isfilled with a plurality of foam micro beads known in the art.

The body 12 further comprises a coupling portion 18 joined to theremainder of the body 12 via a flexible region 20. Like the main part ofthe body 12, the coupling portion 18 is also filled with a plurality offoam micro beads. The flexible region 20 however does not have any microbeads. The coupling portion 18 is used to join the opposing ends of thebody 12 together when the neck brace 10 is placed around the neck of theinjured patient. Specifically, as seen in the rear view of the neckbrace 10 in FIG. 2, the back surface of the coupling portion 18comprises a hook and latch fabric pad 24 so that when the neck brace 10is placed on the patient, the coupling portion 18 is brought around tothe opposing end of the front of the body 12 where an opposing hook andlatch fabric pad 22 is disposed. The medical professional secures theneck brace 10 in place by aligning the hook and latch fabric pad 24 onthe back surface with the opposing pad 22 on the front surface andadhering the pad 24 and opposing pad 22 together. The pads 24, 22 arebrought together relative to one another according to the width orcircumference of the patent's neck and shoulder region. To release theneck brace 10, the coupling portion 18 is pulled away from the patientwhich in turn pulls the pad 24 away from the opposing pad 22 of hook andlatch fabric thus releasing the ends of the body 12 from each other.With the opposing ends of the body 12 separated, the neck brace 10 maybe removed from the neck and shoulder region of the patient.

Also seen in FIG. 1 is a vacuum hand pump 26 which is disposed on thefront surface of the body 12. While the vacuum hand pump 26 is shown asbeing disposed substantially beneath the neck cutout 14, it is to beexpressly understood that the vacuum hand pump 26 may located anywhereon the body 12 of the neck brace 10 without changing the overallfunction or scope of the claimed invention. Greater detail of the vacuumhand pump 26 may be seen in the magnified views of FIGS. 3 and 4. Thevacuum hand pump 26 comprises a housing 30 with a frame 28 disposedaround it. Coupled to the housing 30 is a bellows 32 which may becompressed against the housing 30 as detailed further below. Coupled toa distal end of the bellows 32 is a plunger 34. The plunger 34 issufficiently sized and shaped so that a medical professional may easilygrip and press the plunger 34 with his or her fingers. The plunger 34itself comprises a shuttle 36 disposed on either lateral side of theplunger 34. Each shuttle 36 is disposed in a corresponding track 38formed within the lateral sides of the frame 28. Also disposed in eachtrack 38 is a tension spring 40 which is coupled to the frame 28 at oneend and coupled to the shuttle 36 at the opposing end.

Greater detail of the housing 30 and the components contained thereinmay be seen in FIG. 6. The housing 30 comprises an internal chamber 44for passing a volume of air from the body 12 of the neck brace 10 to theoutside environment. Also disposed within the housing 30 is a body valve46 which is fluidly coupled to an internal volume of the body 12. As isknown in the art, the body valve 46 is a one-way directional valve whichallows for air to flow in substantially only one direction, namely fromthe body 12 to the internal chamber 44 of the housing 30. Disposed inthe top surface of the housing 30 is a housing valve 42, which like thebody valve 46, is a one-way directional valve which allows air to flowin only one direction from the internal chamber 44 of the housing 30 tothe ambient environment. Detail of the housing valve 42 may been seen inFIG. 9 which shows the housing valve 42 comprising a substantiallyannular or ring shaped valve seat 48 and a flexible diaphragm 50. Asseen in the cross sectional view of FIG. 9, the diaphragm 50 is disposedwithin the center of the valve seat 48 with outer circumference of thediaphragm 50 resting on an inner radius of the valve seat 48.

After disposing the neck brace 10 around the neck of the patient andsecuring it in place, the user or medical professional operates thevacuum hand pump 26 by first placing his or her hand on top of thevacuum hand pump 26 seen in FIGS. 4 and 7 with the heel of his or herhand at or near the back of the housing 30 and fingers in front of theplunger 34. The user then compresses the vacuum hand pump 26 bysqueezing the plunger 34 and bringing it back towards the stationaryhousing 30. As the user squeezes the plunger 34, the bellows 32 arecompressed which drives air within the internal chamber 44 out of thehousing 30 through the housing valve 42 in the direction of the arrowsseen in FIG. 9. Specifically, air is driven towards the diaphragm 50which lifts the outer circumference of the diaphragm 50 upward and offof the valve seat 48 and allowing the air to exit the housing 30. Afterthe air pressure is equalized between the ambient environment and theinternal chamber 44, the diaphragm 50 returns to its original positionon the valve seat 48, thus preventing any air from reentering theinternal chamber 44 of the housing 30. As the movement of the plunger 34compresses the bellows 32, the shuttles 36 on either side of the vacuumhand pump 26 move through their respective tracks 38 and stretch each ofthe respective tension springs 40 coupled to each shuttle as seen inFIGS. 5 and 8.

After the bellows 32 has been fully compressed and the air driven fromthe internal chamber 44 of the housing 30, the user releases his or hergrip on the plunger 34. The tension springs 40 then begin to compressand draw the plunger 34 away from the housing 30, thus expanding thebellows 32. The expanding bellows 32 in turn then draws air out of thebody 12 of the neck brace 10 through the body valve 46 and into theinternal chamber 44 of the housing 30. Once air has entered the internalchamber 44, the body valve 46 prevents its reentry back into the body 12as is known in the art.

With air now back in the internal chamber 44 of the housing 30, the useronce again may repeat the pumping process by compressing the plunger 34and driving the air out of the housing 30 and into the ambientenvironment through the housing valve 42. It is in this manner that airis quickly and efficiently removed from the body 12 of the neck brace10. With each subsequent stroke of the vacuum hand pump 26, a higher andhigher vacuum is created within the body 12 which in turn removes airfrom the plurality of micro beads disposed within the body 12 whichcollapses under ambient exterior air pressure and presses the beadscloser and closer together, thus making the body 12 more rigid andconforming the contours of body 12 to the shape of the patient's neckand shoulder region. The user continues to operate the vacuum hand pump26 until the neck brace 10 is sufficiently rigidly set about thepatient's neck and effectively immobilizes the patient's neck. With theneck brace 10 firmly in position, the patient may be moved as needed toreceive further treatment without fear of further aggravating thepatient's injuries.

To remove the neck brace 10 from the patient, the user opens a releasevalve 52 disposed on the back surface of the body 12 as seen in FIG. 2.The release valve 52 is a one-way valve known in the art which allowsair to rush into the evacuated interior of body 12 previously pumped outby the vacuum hand pump 26. The reinserted air inflates or expands theneck brace 10 and relaxes the body 12. When the body 12 has sufficientlysoftened and has regained a certain amount of flexibility, the user mayuncouple the ends of the body 12 from each other as disclosed above,unfold body 12 and remove the neck brace 10 from neck and shoulderregion of the patient. While FIG. 2 shows the release valve 52 as beingsubstantially disposed in a corner on the back surface of the body 12,it is to be expressly understood that this is for illustrative purposesonly and that the release valve 52 may in fact be located anywhere onthe front or back surface of the body 12 without significantly departingfrom the original intent and purpose of the current invention.

As also seen in FIGS. 10 and 11 the neck brace 100 comprises an accessport or point 300 defined

In a separate embodiment seen in FIGS. 10 and 11, the hand pump 26 ofthe neck brace 10 may be replaced with a syringe pump 102 coupled to aneck brace 100. The syringe pump 102 is coupled to the neck brace 100through a syringe aperture 104. The syringe aperture 104 is permanentlycoupled to an internal volume of the neck brace 100 at its proximal end.Disposed at a distal end of the syringe aperture 104 is a couplingportion 110 which is configured to accommodate a distal end of thesyringe pump 102. The syringe aperture 104 further comprises a one-waydirectional valve 106 disposed within the coupling portion 110.

To use the syringe pump 102, a user wraps the neck brace 100 around theneck and shoulder region of a patient 114 as disclosed above. Thesyringe pump 102 is coupled to the syringe aperture 104 by inserting thedistal end of the syringe pump 102 into the coupling portion 110 untilthe syringe pump 102 snaps or clicks into place via a friction fit orpressure fit as is known in the art. Alternatively, the neck brace 100may be placed about the patient 114 in a pre-assembled state, namelywith the syringe pump 102 already coupled to the syringe aperture 104.Once coupled, the user activates the syringe pump 102 by repeatedlymanipulating a plunger disposed in the proximal end of the syringe pump102 (not seen) as is known in the art. Specifically, as the plunger isdrawn back, air from within the internal volume of the neck brace 100 isdrawn out through the syringe aperture 104. As air exits the syringeaperture 104 it passes through the first one-way directional valve 106and into the syringe pump 102. A second one-way directional valve 108disposed within the syringe pump 102 directs air which has been drawnfrom the neck brace 100 into the ambient environment. The user thenpushes the plunger of the syringe pump 102 back in the distal direction,the first and second one-way directional valves 106, 108 preventing airfrom flowing back into the neck brace 100 as is well known in the art.The user continues to manipulate the syringe pump 102 further drawingout air from the neck brace 100 and further contracting the neck brace100 about the neck and shoulders of the patient 114 and creating a rigidneck brace as seen in FIGS. 10 and 11. Once the neck brace 100 hasreached a sufficient level a rigidity, the user may stop manipulatingthe syringe pump 102 and let the syringe pump 102 hang down from theneck brace 100 in front of the patient 114. Alternatively, the user maydetach the syringe pump 102 from the neck brace 100 by releasing thesyringe pump 102 from the coupling portion 110 of the syringe aperture104.

As also seen in FIGS. 10 and 11, the neck brace 100 comprises an accessport or point 300 defined within the body portion 120 of the neck brace100. The access port 300 is preferably defined within the body portion120 beneath the face cutout 112 and adjacent to the syringe aperture 104so as to provide the user sufficient access to the neck or throat regionof the patient while the brace 100 is actively disposed about thepatient's neck. The access port 300 itself is sufficiently sized andshaped to accommodate the hand or fingers of the user and any necessarymedical tools or implements that the user may need to treat the patient.Because the access port 300 is substantially defined within a centerportion of the body portion 120 of the brace 100, the overall structure,performance, and effectiveness of the brace 100 is not affected afterthe brace 100 has been activated, thereby providing direct access to thepatient's neck even when the neck and head of the patient is otherwisecompletely immobilized.

Greater functional detail of the neck brace 100 may also be had fromFIGS. 10 and 11. Specifically, the neck brace comprises a plurality ofshoulder cutouts 116 and a face cutout 112 which are sized and shapedwithin the neck brace 100 at the appropriate locations so that when theneck brace 100 is applied to the patient's 114 neck region, the facecutout 112 appropriately accommodates the jaw and chin of the patientwhile the shoulder cutouts 116 accommodate the shoulders and upper chestregion of the patient 114. The face cutout 112 is a substantiallyhalf-moon shape cutout or aperture defined within a body portion 120 ofthe neck brace 100. As best seen in FIG. 11, the face cutout 112 isconfigured or defined to leave the nose and mouth 122 of the patient 114open to the ambient environment while encompassing or enclosing the jawand chin 188 of the patient 114 within the neck brace 100 when the neckbrace 100 is wrapped about the patient 144 as disclosed above. Unlikeprior neck braces, the neck brace 100 seen in FIGS. 10 and 11 explicitlyallows for the disposition of the chin 118 within the neck brace 100itself, thus dramatically increasing the overall comfort for the patient114 wearing the neck brace 100 while still maintaining a sufficientlevel of immobilization required for effective medical treatment.Specifically, as is discussed above in relation to the previousembodiment, the neck brace 100 is placed or wrapped around the neck andchin 118 of the patient 114 while the body 120 of the neck brace 100 isin a soft or pliable state. With the patient's chin 188 still within theenclosed space formed by the applied neck brace 100, the user activatesthe neck brace 100 by removing air from within the neck brace 100 asdisclosed above, thus contracting the neck brace 100 and forming a rigidthree dimensional structure about the patient's neck and chin 118.Because the neck brace 100 contracts and forms to the specific contoursof the patient's neck, shoulders, jaw, and chin 118, the patient 114 orthe user do not need to remove the patient's chin 118 from within theenclosed space of the neck brace 100. Instead, the neck brace 100 formsa rigid structure which not only limits the relative movement of thepatient's neck, but also prevents the patient's chin 118 from anyundesired relative movement as well. In other words, as the user iswrapping the neck brace 100 about the patient 114, a comfortable andrelaxed fit for the patient 114 is achieved since the neck brace 100 isinitially soft and extremely pliable and does not place the patient inthe discomfort of a near traction like state normally associated withneck braces or collars. The comfortable fit achieved by the neck brace100 is then maintained upon its activation since the contractingmovement and increasing rigidity of the neck brace 100 does not alterthe position of the chin 118 of the patient 114 but rather “locks” itinto an immobilized position.

An alternative embodiment of the invention may be seen in FIGS. 12A-17where the neck brace is denoted generally as reference numeral 200. FIG.12A shows a frontal view of the neck brace 200 which comprises a frontpanel 202, a back panel 218, and internal volume defined there between.Both the front panel 202 and the back panel 218 are substantiallyrectangular in shape with the exception of a neck contour 204 and aplurality of shoulder contours 206 defined within its overall structuralform. The neck contour 204 and shoulder contours 16 are substantially“U” or “V” shaped definitions within the neck brace 200 that are definedalong an upper edge 208 and a lower edge 210 of the front panel 202,respectively. The neck brace 200 further comprises an access port 300defined within both the front panel 202 and the back panel 218. When theneck brace 200 is applied to a patient's neck region as is described infurther detail below, the neck contour 204 appropriately accommodatesthe jaw and head of the patient while the shoulder contours 206accommodate each of the shoulders and the chest region of the patient asis known in the art. The access port 300 further provides a means forthe user to directly access the neck and throat region of the patient,even when the brace 200 has been activated.

The neck brace 200 itself is comprised of soft, expandable fabric orother flexible material and is filled with a plurality of foam microbeads known in the art. In one particular embodiment, the neck brace 200is comprised of extra soft and malleable material such as velour,velvet, or other padded or cushioned fabric so as to provide the patienta comfortable and relaxing fit. In this embodiment, it thereforepossible to expand the potential uses of the neck brace 200 beyond thatof medical uses or emergency treatment. For example, the neck brace 200may optionally be used as a neck pillow, travel pillow, or other neckstabilizing device.

The neck brace 200 further comprises a strip 212 joined to a lateraledge of the front panel 202. Unlike the remaining portions of the neckbrace 200, the strip 212 is not filled with a plurality of foam microbeads, thus allowing the strip 212 to remain flexible regardless of thestate of rigidity of the remaining portions of the neck brace 200. Thereverse side of the strip 212 seen in FIG. 12B comprises a firstcoupling portion 214 used to join the opposing ends of the neck brace200 together when the neck brace 200 is placed around the neck of theinjured patient. The first coupling portion 214 preferably comprises ahook and latch fabric pad, however other means such as adhesive surfacesor other mechanical means for coupling may be used so that when the neckbrace 200 is placed on the patient, the strip 212 is brought around tothe opposing end of the front panel 202 where a second coupling portion220 is disposed. The medical professional secures the neck brace 200 inplace by aligning the first coupling portion 214 on the back surface ofthe strip 212 with the second coupling portion 220 disposed on theopposing lateral edge of the front panel 202. The first coupling portion214 and the second coupling portion 220 are brought together relative toone another according to the width or circumference of the patent's neckand shoulder region. In instances where the patient has a relativelysmall chest and shoulder region, for example when the patient is achild, the neck brace 200 may be further tightened by bringing asupplemental coupling portion 216 disposed on the back panel 218 of theneck brace 200 seen in FIG. 12B into contact with the second couplingportion 220. To release the neck brace 200, the first coupling portion214 or the supplemental coupling portion 216 is pulled away ordisengaged from the second coupling portion 220 thus releasing thelateral ends of the front panel 202 from each other. With the opposingends of the front panel 202 separated, the neck brace 200 may be removedfrom the neck and shoulder region of the patient.

As also seen in FIGS. 12A-12C, the neck brace 200 further comprises adetachable or removable single hand vacuum pump assembly 222. Thedetachable pump assembly 222 is removably coupled to an input valve 224which is disposed within the front panel 202, preferably at a positionwithin the front panel 202 that is beneath the second coupling portion220 as seen in FIG. 12A and in FIG. 13 where the detachable hand pumpassembly 222 has been removed.

Further detail of the input valve 224 may be had by turning to FIGS.14A-14C. FIG. 14A shows the front panel 202 of the neck brace 200 whenthe input valve removed and showing a filter mesh or screen 230 definedwithin the surface of the front panel 202. The input valve 224 is thencoupled or incorporated into the front panel 202 directly over thefilter screen 230 as seen in FIG. 14B. A distal end of a vacuum line 232is then in turn coupled to the input valve 224 as shown in FIG. 14C.When the detachable pump assembly 222 is in use, the filter screen 230allows air trapped within the neck brace 200 to pass through the frontpanel 202 and into the vacuum line 232 through the input valve 224 whilesimultaneously preventing any of the plurality of foam micro beads fromescaping the neck brace 200 and thus possibly jamming or blocking theinput valve 224 or vacuum line 232.

Greater detail of the detachable pump assembly 222 may be had from FIGS.15-17. FIG. 15 is a detailed view of the pump unit 234 which comprises ahandle portion 236, a plunger 238, a chamber 240, and a nozzle 242.Specifically, the handle 236 is preferably rectangular in shape andcoupled to the chamber 240. The plunger 238 is disposed within aninternal portion of the chamber 240 along with a spring as is known inthe art so that when the plunger 238 is pulled in the distal directionaway from the chamber 240, air is drawn in from the nozzle 242 disposedat the opposing end of the chamber 240. The handle 236 and plunger 238are configured or arranged so that the distal edge of the handle 236 maybe pressed against the medical professional's thumb or palm while theirfingers are wrapped or hooked around the plunger 238. The medicalprofessional actuates the pump unit 234 by pulling the plunger 238towards their palm, thus expanding the internal volume within thechamber 240 and drawing air in from the nozzle 242. The medicalprofessional then relaxes their grip, allowing a spring within thechamber 240 to expand and push the plunger 238 back towards the chamber240.

FIG. 16 shows how the pump unit 234 may be coupled to the vacuum line232. Coupled between the nozzle 242 of the pump unit 234 and the vacuumline 232 is a coupling sub assembly 254 which comprises a collar 246bonded to the nozzle 242, a flexible connecting line 244 bonded to thecollar 246, and a female luer lug style to barb 248 which is in turnbonded to the distal end of the flexible connecting line 244. The collar246 comprises a one-way valve that is configured to allow air to flow inone direction so that when the plunger 238 is returned to its originalstarting position, air is not pushed back out of the nozzle 242 andsubsequently into the neck brace 200. The vacuum line 232 furthercomprises a male luer integral lock ring 250 disposed at its distal tipas seen in FIG. 17. To connect the pump assembly 222, the medicalprofessional couples the female luer lug 248 to the male luer lock 250as is known in the art. To detach the pump assembly 222 from the neckbrace 200, the medical professional simply decouples the female luer lug248 from the male luer lock 250.

As also seen in FIG. 17, a hose clamp 252 is coupled to the vacuum line232. After actuating the pump assembly 222 and removing the air fromwithin the neck brace 200, the hose clamp 252 may be actuated so that noair reenters the neck brace 200, thus allowing the medical professionalto decouple the pump assembly 222 via the female luer lug 248 and maleluer lock 250. To re-inflate the neck brace 200, the medicalprofessional can open the hose clamp 252, thus allowing ambient air torush into the neck brace 200 through the vacuum line 232 and input valve224. Alternatively, the medical professional may instead open a releasevalve that is structural distinct from the vacuum line and which isdisposed within the front panel 202 of the neck brace.

To use the neck brace 200, the neck brace 200 is first placed or wrappedaround the neck and chin 262 of a patient 260 while the neck brace 200itself is in a soft or pliable state. With the patient's chin 262 stillwithin the enclosed space formed by the applied neck brace 200, the useractivates the detachable pump assembly 222 by squeezing the plunger 238and handle 236 for four to six seconds as disclosed above, thus removingair from the neck brace 200 and contracting it to form a rigid threedimensional structure or mold 264 about the patient's neck and chin 262.Because the neck brace 200 contracts and molds to the specific contoursof the patient's neck, shoulders, jaw, and chin 262, the patient 260 orthe medical professional do not need to remove the patient's chin 262from within the enclosed space of the neck brace 200. Instead, the neckbrace 200 forms a rigid structure which not only limits the relativemovement of the patient's neck, but also prevents the patient's chin 262from any undesired relative movement as well. The comfortable fitachieved by the neck brace 200 is then maintained upon its activationsince the contracting movement and increasing rigidity of the neck brace200 does not alter the position of the chin 262 of the patient 260 butrather “locks” it into an immobilized position.

Additionally, because the neck brace 200 is initially soft and extremelypliable, it may be placed on the patient 260 in the same condition themedical professional finds the patient in, thus negating the need tofirst put the patient in traction or otherwise distract the patient'sneck. For example, many conventional cervical collars require thepatient's head and chin to first be lifted upwards in order for thepermanently rigid collar or brace to be wrapped about the patient'sneck. If the patient has suffered an unknown neck injury however, thelast thing a first responder should do is to distract the patient's neckand possibly exacerbate or further worsen the patient's injury. The neckbrace 200 of the current invention is instead applied to the neck regionof the patient while it is in a pliable or malleable state, thereforethe specific relative position of the injured patient's head, chin, orneck does not need to be altered or distracted in order to place theneck brace 200 into its proper position. Furthermore, because the neckbrace 200 forms a mold 264 about the patient's neck and shoulders, theneck brace 200 may be placed around the patient's neck region regardlessof the patient's clothing or hair which typically impedes or blocks theplacement of a traditional permanently rigid cervical collar or brace.In short, the current neck brace 200 does not place the patient in thediscomfort of a near traction like state normally associated with neckbraces or collars and instead forms a patient-specific mold 264 whichprevents further distraction of the patient's neck.

Furthermore because the current neck brace 200 forms a patient-specificmold 264 and does not need to be applied directly to the surface ofpatient's neck in order to immobilize the patient's movement, thecurrent neck brace 200 does not restrict or alter the patient's bloodflow while the neck brace 200 is in use. As is well known, a number ofveins are disposed within the neck region of the patient including theinternal jugular vein. When a traditional permanently rigid brace orcollar is placed about the patient's neck and then tightened, this canpress upon the internal veins of the patient and detrimentally effectthe patient's venous return. Slowing the patient's venous return cancause discomfort to the patient at a minimum, and depending upon thenature and extent of the patient's condition or injury, a slowing orrestriction of the venous return can dramatically worsen the patient'scondition by restricting blood flow back to the heart.

When the neck brace 200 is to be removed from the patient, the medicalprofessional may decouple the pump assembly 222 from the male luer lock250 disposed on the vacuum line 232 and then disengage the hose clamp252, thus allowing ambient air to reenter the internal volume of theneck brace 200. As air enters the neck brace 200, its rigidity decreasesand the neck brace 200 once again regains its malleable, deformableshape. The medical professional may then decouple the strip 212 from thesecond coupling portion 220 as described above and then remove the neckbrace 200 from around the neck of the patient.

Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinaryskill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of theembodiments. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustratedembodiment has been set forth only for the purposes of example and thatit should not be taken as limiting the embodiments as defined by thefollowing embodiments and its various embodiments.

Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiment hasbeen set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should notbe taken as limiting the embodiments as defined by the following claims.For example, notwithstanding the fact that the elements of a claim areset forth below in a certain combination, it must be expresslyunderstood that the embodiments includes other combinations of fewer,more or different elements, which are disclosed in above even when notinitially claimed in such combinations. A teaching that two elements arecombined in a claimed combination is further to be understood as alsoallowing for a claimed combination in which the two elements are notcombined with each other, but may be used alone or combined in othercombinations. The excision of any disclosed element of the embodimentsis explicitly contemplated as within the scope of the embodiments.

The words used in this specification to describe the various embodimentsare to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly definedmeanings, but to include by special definition in this specificationstructure, material or acts beyond the scope of the commonly definedmeanings. Thus if an element can be understood in the context of thisspecification as including more than one meaning, then its use in aclaim must be understood as being generic to all possible meaningssupported by the specification and by the word itself.

The definitions of the words or elements of the following claims are,therefore, defined in this specification to include not only thecombination of elements which are literally set forth, but allequivalent structure, material or acts for performing substantially thesame function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially thesame result. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that anequivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any oneof the elements in the claims below or that a single element may besubstituted for two or more elements in a claim. Although elements maybe described above as acting in certain combinations and even initiallyclaimed as such, it is to be expressly understood that one or moreelements from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised fromthe combination and that the claimed combination may be directed to asubcombination or variation of a subcombination.

Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by aperson with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, areexpressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of theclaims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one withordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of thedefined elements.

The claims are thus to be understood to include what is specificallyillustrated and described above, what is conceptionally equivalent, whatcan be obviously substituted and also what essentially incorporates theessential idea of the embodiments.

I claim:
 1. A customizable neck brace comprising: a front panel; a backpanel, wherein an internal volume is defined between the front panel andthe back panel; a strip coupled to the front panel, the strip comprisinga first coupling portion disposed on at least one surface of the strip;a second coupling portion disposed on the front panel; a plurality ofloosely compressible particles disposed in the internal volume; adetachable pump assembly removably coupled to the front panel; a neckcontour defined in the front panel and back panel; and an access portdefined in the front panel and back panel, where the detachable pumpassembly comprises: a chamber; a handle coupled to a first end of thechamber; a plunger disposed within an internal portion of the chamber;and a nozzle disposed within a second end of the chamber.
 2. The neckbrace of claim 1 where the detachable pump assembly further comprises: avacuum line coupled to an input valve disposed in the front panel at afirst end; a male luer lock coupled to a second end of the vacuum line.3. The neck brace of claim 2 further comprising a hose clamp coupled tothe vacuum line.
 4. The neck brace of claim 1 where the front panelfurther comprises an input valve fluidly communicated to the internalvolume.
 5. The neck brace of claim 4 where the input valve furthercomprises a filter screen disposed between the internal volume aninternal portion of the input valve.
 6. The neck brace of claim 1 wherethe detachable pump assembly further comprises a collar coupled to thenozzle and a female luer lug which is coupled to the nozzle via aflexible connecting line.
 7. The neck brace of claim 1 where the accessport defined in the front panel and back panel is defined in the frontpanel and the back panel at a position that is adjacent to the neckcontour.
 8. The neck brace of claim 1 where the front panel and the backpanel are comprised of a soft, malleable fabric.
 9. The neck brace ofclaim 1 wherein the front panel and the back panel cooperate to form apatient-specific mold around the neck and chin of a patient whilemaintaining access to the neck of the patient after the detachable pumpassembly has been actuated.
 10. A method for forming an immobilizingpatient-specific mold comprising: wrapping a neck brace around the neckand chin of a patient, the neck brace comprising a front panel and aback panel and having an interior volume defined therebetween, where theinternal volume is filled with a plurality of compressible particles;actuating a detachable pump assembly removably coupled to the frontpanel of the neck brace; removing air from the internal volume of theneck brace to compress the neck brace and forming a unique rigid moldabout the neck and chin of the patient; and providing access to the neckof the patient after the neck brace has been compressed, where actuatingthe detachable pump assembly comprises: removably coupling a pump unitto a vacuum line communicated to the internal volume of the neck brace;actuating a plunger disposed within a chamber of the pump unit; andremoving air from the internal volume of the neck brace through thevacuum line.
 11. The method of claim 10 where removing air from theinternal volume of the neck brace through the vacuum line furthercomprises preventing the plurality of compressible particles within theinternal volume from entering the vacuum line with a filter screen. 12.The method of claim 10 where removably coupling a pump unit to a vacuumline communicated to the internal volume of the neck brace comprisescoupling a female luer lug disposed on the pump unit to a male luer lockdisposed on the vacuum line.
 13. The method of claim 10 where forming aunique rigid mold about the neck and chin of the patient comprisesaccommodating the chin of the patient in an immobilized position whilesimultaneously providing access to the neck of the patient within theunique rigid mold.
 14. The method of claim 10 where forming a uniquerigid mold about the neck and chin of the patient further comprisespreventing restriction of the venous blood flow return of the patient.15. A method for preventing the distraction of the neck of a patientwhen immobilizing the patient's neck comprising: disposing a neck braceabout the neck of a patient while the neck of the patient is in aninjured position; actuating the neck brace to form a unique rigid moldabout the injured region of the patient's neck; and providing access tothe neck of the patient after the neck brace has been actuated, whereinthe formed unique rigid mold is configured to maintain the neck of thepatient within its original injured position for the duration that theneck brace is disposed about the neck of the patient, where actuatingthe neck brace to form a unique rigid mold about the injured region ofthe patient's neck comprises: removably coupling a pump unit to a vacuumline communicated to an internal volume of the neck brace; actuating aplunger disposed within a chamber of the pump unit; and removing airfrom the internal volume of the neck brace through the vacuum line. 16.The method of claim 15 where actuating the neck brace to form a uniquerigid mold about the injured region of the patient's neck comprisescompressing the neck brace to fit the specific contours of the patient'sneck and chin.
 17. The method of claim 15 further comprising inflatingthe neck brace and removing the neck brace from the neck of the patient.18. The method of claim 15 where disposing a neck brace about the neckof a patient while the neck of the patient is in an injured positioncomprises coupling a first coupling portion or a supplemental couplingportion disposed on a first surface of the neck brace to a secondcoupling portion disposed on a second surface of the neck brace.